Celebrate and Cherish Earth Day

Today is Earth Day, which began on this day in 1970, the year after a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, Calif. Forty-one years later, and one year after the infamous BP oil spill, people are still taking time out on this day to appreciate the natural environment around them and to help it remain for future generations to enjoy.

• held event this morning in celebration of Earth Day. Michelle Moday, Mableton Elementary’s Walk to School champion, scheduled the event on Earth Day to get families out of their cars and to help reduce air pollution.  Next year, Mableton Elementary hopes to expand their walks from three to nine, with many families walking from home rather than walking from a nearby location where they’ve parked their cars.

• Keep Cobb Beautiful will host the Giving Grill at Harry’s Farmer’s Market at 70 Powers Ferry Road in Marietta on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, drinks and more for 50 cents to $5. All proceeds benefit Keep Cobb Beautiful’s environmental programs.

• The Georgia Aquarium is also holding its Third Annual Earth Day celebration beginning today through Sunday. The Earth Day events include arts and crafts stations, mascot interaction, Little Wonder animal carts, special giveaways and Botanical Paperworks plantable pledge cards. All of these events are complimentary for aquarium guests.

• Last Saturday, 4,200 young people registered and completed service projects at the Global Youth Service Day event at the in Marietta. Tomorrow, they will be recognized for their efforts and service to the community at the CCC. Everyone is invited to come out and recognize these children, teens and young adults for their hard work at 11 a.m.

• is holding its Build and Grow clinic for kids on Saturday at 10 a.m. This week, the children will learn how to build their own window birdhouses, which stick to the window so the children can have an up-close view of the bird’s nest. For more information, click here.

• If you aren’t sure what else you can do on Earth Day, just take a stroll through one of the many parks in South Cobb, like or . If you see litter on the ground, take a second and throw it in a nearby trash can.